Thirteen Colonies Serhii Zavgorodnii 11 C 13

Thirteen Colonies Serhii Zavgorodnii 11 C

13 colonies The Thirteen Colonies were a group of British colonies on the east coast of North America founded in the 17 th and 18 th centuries that declared independence in 1776 and formed the United States. The thirteen were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island Providence Plantations, New Jersey.

Short history The Thirteen Colonies had very similar political, constitutional, and legal systems, and were dominated by Protestant English-speakers. They were part of Britain's possessions in the New World. However, the Thirteen Colonies had a high degree of self-government and active local elections, and increasingly resisted London's demands for more control. In the 1750 s, the colonies began collaborating with each other instead of dealing directly with Britain. Following a series of protests over taxes in the 1760 s and 1770 s, these thirteen colonies united politically and militarily in opposition to the British government and fought the American Revolutionary War (1775– 1783). In July 1776, they formed a new nation called the "United States of America" and declared independence. The new nation achieved that goal by winning the American Revolutionary War with the aid of France, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Contemporary documents usually list the thirteen colonies of British North America in geographical order, from the north to the south. New England colonies: • Province of Massachusetts Bay, later Massachusetts and Maine, a crown colony • Province of New Hampshire, later New Hampshire, a crown colony • Colony of Rhode Island Providence Plantations, later Rhode Island Providence Plantations, a crown colony • Connecticut Colony, later Connecticut, a crown colony Middle colonies: • Province of New York, later New York and Vermont, a crown colony • Province of New Jersey, later New Jersey, a crown colony • Province of Pennsylvania, later Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony • Delaware Colony (before 1776, the Lower Counties on Delaware), later Delaware, a proprietary colony Southern colonies: • Province of Maryland, later Maryland, a proprietary colony • Colony and Dominion of Virginia, later Virginia and Kentucky (and West Virginia following the American Civil War), a crown colony • Province of North Carolina, later North Carolina and Tennessee, a crown colony • Province of South Carolina, later South Carolina, a crown colony • Province of Georgia, later Georgia, northern sections of Alabama and Mississippi, a crown colony

The formation of some colonies Dominion of New England Created in 1685 by a decree from King James II that consolidated Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Province of New York, East Jersey, and West Jersey into a single larger colony. Massachusetts Bay Colony Settled in 1630 by Puritans from England. The colonial charter was revoked in 1684, and a new charter was issued in 1691 establishing an enlarged Province of Massachusetts Bay. Province of Maine Settled in 1622. The Massachusetts Bay Colony claimed the Maine territory in the 1650 s, then limited to present-day southernmost Maine. Parts of Maine east of the Kennebec River were also part of New York in the second half of the 17 th century. These areas were formally made part of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the charter of 1691.

Plymouth Colony Settled in 1620 by the Pilgrims. Plymouth was merged into the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the charter of 1691. Saybrook Colony Founded in 1635 and merged with Connecticut Colony in 1644. New Haven Colony Settled in late 1637. New Haven was absorbed by Connecticut Colony with the issuance of the Connecticut Charter in 1662, partly as royal punishment by King Charles II for harboring the judges who had sentenced King Charles I to death. East Jersey and West Jersey Settled as part of New Netherland in the 1610 s. New Jersey was captured (along with New York) by English forces in 1664. New Jersey was divided into two separate colonies in 1674, which were reunited in 1702. Province of Carolina Founded in 1663. Carolina colony was divided into two colonies in 1712: North Carolina and South Carolina. Both colonies became royal colonies in 1729.